Aging oolong? How to do it?

[Baisao]

This topic is really interesting. I have never tasted aged Oolong. I read that aged Oolong has much lesser caffeine that other teas. My body cannot tolerate drinking teas for prolonged period.

Caffeine has a long half life and there will still be plenty in aged oolong. However, the body load is relaxing and not as stimulating as younger, less oxidized oolongs or greens. It’s not as relaxing as 40 year old shou, however. That stuff is almost narcotic!

I believe there are more chemicals than caffeine that cause that jittery feeling and/or that something is changed in aged or darker oolongs causes them to be more relaxing.

[Baisao]

I don’t believe most people who drink aged oolongs are disaffected puerh drinkers, as has I have read on the forum multiple times. Shou and aged oolong are very different things: they taste differently, feel differently, and are stored differently.

My experience talking to people who prefer darker and aged oolongs is that they, like me, got bored with the overwhelming character of green oolongs.

[Ethan Kurland]

Can anyone be kind enough to share where I can get some good aged Taiwanese Oolong?

From me. In vendor thread. Page 4, towards the bottom, post dated Oct 2_, is current list of teas. There are 2 aged oolongs listed.

[Ethan Kurland]

Caffeine has a long half life and there will still be plenty in aged oolong. However, the body load is relaxing and not as stimulating as younger, less oxidized oolongs or greens. It’s not as relaxing as 40 year old shou, however. That stuff is almost narcotic!

I believe there are more chemicals than caffeine that cause that jittery feeling and/or that something is changed in aged or darker oolongs causes them to be more relaxing.

Very well expressed. "Body load" is a new way of saying something like, "the effect on the body".

+1 for aged or darker oolongs being more relaxing. However, it happens, all tea is relaxing for me to drink to a significant degree.

[Chadrinkincat]

Chadrinkincat how do you define par and sub par oolongs?

For me below average teas are often drinkable but likely not something I’d want to consume regularly or consider a daily drinker. Seadyke brand is a good example of sub par tea imho.

Contamination from storage is a separate issue.

[Bok]

+1 for aged or darker oolongs being more relaxing. However, it happens, all tea is relaxing for me to drink to a significant degree.

Mostly, but not always. I've had aged Dancong for example, that kept me up all night and with vivid, restless dreams...

[Baisao]

+1 for aged or darker oolongs being more relaxing. However, it happens, all tea is relaxing for me to drink to a significant degree.

Mostly, but not always. I've had aged Dancong for example, that kept me up all night and with vivid, restless dreams...

Great point. Dancongs are odd to begin with.

Additionally, I’ve had more doped dancongs than any other tea. I now steer clear of them except from sources I know very well.

[Bok]

Additionally, I’ve had more doped dancongs than any other tea. I now steer clear of them except from sources I know very well.

The one I am referring to was from the 70s, so pretty sure at time, doping them for fragrance was not a thing yet. Or so I hope.

[aet]

Well, I had some aged oolong from 95 stored in Thailand ( sample exchange with other vendor ) . I'm not experienced oolong drinker so can not confirm the age but it does taste like ( had a specific notes of ) aged sheng puerh of clean Puer ( Simao ) storage approx from the same time. And as I mentioned in previous post, I'm aware of that nowadays this taste profile can be imitated in shorter time of storage if humidity and ventilation ( air circ. ) set right.

[John_B]

Well, I had some aged oolong from 95 stored in Thailand ( sample exchange with other vendor ) . I'm not experienced oolong drinker so can not confirm the age but it does taste like ( had a specific notes of ) aged sheng puerh of clean Puer ( Simao ) storage approx from the same time. And as I mentioned in previous post, I'm aware of that nowadays this taste profile can be imitated in shorter time of storage if humidity and ventilation ( air circ. ) set right.

Was it this one? https://tea-side.com/lao-qing-xin-oolong-tea/

I never noticed that version tasting anything like sheng. That vendor (who seems like a decent guy) goes on about cha qi a lot, and in relation to that tea. Since I don't really "get" that it's hard for me to guess if he notices a lot of effect mostly because he expects to.

[Baisao]

That vendor (who seems like a decent guy) goes on about cha qi a lot, and in relation to that tea. Since I don't really "get" that it's hard for me to guess if he notices a lot of effect mostly because he expects to.

I understand a lot of people don’t feel cha qi but to me it is as apparent as a shot of liquor or too much ephedrine: it’s a profound enough effect to not be confirmation bias. Sometimes it’s subtle and nearly every tea has a unique feeling.

I meditate regularly and haven’t consumed alcohol (or any other intoxicant) in almost 20 years. I don’t even smoke or drink coffee.

I’ve started referring to cha qi as “body load” to avoid confusion that it is mystical. I think that there are various causes, most of which are mundane or material.

Some people feel it after marathon tea sessions but this is more likely water intoxication or a saturation of chemicals from the tea has been reached.

It’s ok if you don’t feel it. In fact, I wish I didn’t as it is distracting and limits how much tea I can drink. I couldn’t finish a 3g gaiwan of shan cha a couple weeks back because the effect was so strong and was messing with my vision, making everything more sparkly and vibrant. I was unnecessary for about an hour.

[aet]

Well, I had some aged oolong from 95 stored in Thailand ( sample exchange with other vendor ) . I'm not experienced oolong drinker so can not confirm the age but it does taste like ( had a specific notes of ) aged sheng puerh of clean Puer ( Simao ) storage approx from the same time. And as I mentioned in previous post, I'm aware of that nowadays this taste profile can be imitated in shorter time of storage if humidity and ventilation ( air circ. ) set right.

Was it this one? https://tea-side.com/lao-qing-xin-oolong-tea/

I never noticed that version tasting anything like sheng. That vendor (who seems like a decent guy) goes on about cha qi a lot, and in relation to that tea. Since I don't really "get" that it's hard for me to guess if he notices a lot of effect mostly because he expects to.

Yep, that's the one.
"I never noticed that version tasting anything like sheng" ....probably misunderstanding. I didn't mean that it tastes like sheng puerh. I was trying to say it has an aged notes like I know from aged shengs ( I could compare to sheng only coz we dont have much oolong available in Yunnan ) .
There is something in taste which identical with shengs from around 2000 Simao ( Puer ) ..basically semi-dry storage, and of course that could be an individual feeling based on many factors along with actual experience of drinking sheng like that before.
It had opened some notes of aged leaf here in Kunming in 1800m alt. on our water, so can not confirm how it tastes in Bangkok in very different environment and quite different water, I presume.
Yet, as I mentioned before , I can not confirm the age since I'm not experienced with oolongs. That's why I also brought up the question about fake aged oolongs as it is done with puerh on "daily basis " , I believe that similar techniques might be applied on oolongs.

"goes on about cha qi a lot" ...I agree on that is the individual feeling , so I do not attach such a "tag" to our products ( but I admit we did before , in very beginning because no experience with selling tea and though this is what foreigners wanted to hear / read ...probably still do ) . Yet, I do not contradict with anyone's Style.
In fact, experienced puer tea drinkers " drink with their body " as well , but if you practice Qi Gong you will probably feel an energy even in glass of water I've noticed that many ( maybe even the most ) of foreign puerh tea drinkers judging the shengs like a green tea. Focusing on "front" taste rather than after taste with body feel , let alone some "hui gan", that leads the vendors also adjust their description which is already a challenge for online selling puerh tea.

But this is off this topic.

[John_B]

I'm familiar with the generality that experienced pu'er drinkers "drink with their body." But I'm not convinced that this generality works related to a high proportion of tea drinkers, or in a modal form, that people should "evolve" to such a state.

Maybe this is really a higher form of experienced reality that people should aspire to, to "get" cha qi. Maybe I should be doing qi gong.

Then again others I know discuss obtaining the ability to see colored auras, or perceive other aspects of reality that aren't discussed in tea drinking circles.

There probably is a wide world of what else is valid and possible out there. But I'm not sure if tea drinking energy-form appreciation ranks high on the scale of what someone should get around to. Or maybe it all connects? If I ever get around to experiencing more related to that I'll be sure to pass on how it goes.

To be even clearer, I eat before I drink tea in part so that I don't experience more of such a thing. I drank alcohol and did drugs when I was younger, and now I have no interest in anything along that line, shifting form of inner experience for the sake of experiencing such shifts.

[StoneLadle]

I'm familiar with the generality that experienced pu'er drinkers "drink with their body." But I'm not convinced that this generality works related to a high proportion of tea drinkers, or in a modal form, that people should "evolve" to such a state.

Maybe this is really a higher form of experienced reality that people should aspire to, to "get" cha qi. Maybe I should be doing qi gong.

Then again others I know discuss obtaining the ability to see colored auras, or perceive other aspects of reality that aren't discussed in tea drinking circles.

There probably is a wide world of what else is valid and possible out there. But I'm not sure if tea drinking energy-form appreciation ranks high on the scale of what someone should get around to. Or maybe it all connects? If I ever get around to experiencing more related to that I'll be sure to pass on how it goes.

To be even clearer, I eat before I drink tea in part so that I don't experience more of such a thing. I drank alcohol and did drugs when I was younger, and now I have no interest in anything along that line, shifting form of inner experience for the sake of experiencing such shifts.

Drinking with the body is pretty simple, as in just seeing and feeling how you feel after drinking a tea. Good tea, irrespective of type, and especially aged raw Pu Erh, and most importantly in this here thread, aged Oolong, should make one feel something, but Qi is a rare creature indeed...

Beating hearts and fluttering breath are more likely caffeine overdoses more than anything, as are sweats from simply drinking hot liquids...

Having visions, wow, seriously tea drunk and sugar depleted, perhaps, but mystical tea visions? I know plenty of monks and priests who drink copious amounts of tea and meditate and so on and no, don't think so... One doesn't see a billion tea drinking Chinese people having visions all day ..

I drink whiskies and rums cos they are tasty and tipsy and I drink tea cos it's tasty and tipsy in a different way, and I smoke cigarettes and cigars cos their tasty and nice...

It's just tea at the end of the day but it's fun to see people Keeling over including one ownself after imbibing large amounts of ancient Oolong... Oh @OCTO you evil one...

[OCTO]

It's just tea at the end of the day but it's fun to see people Keeling over including one ownself after imbibing large amounts of ancient Oolong... Oh OCTO you evil one...

My fault????... hahahahaha...... Still remember your facial expression..... LOL!!!